15th Oct 2001, 20:18

I have owned a 95 Sonata since I drove it off the lot. Since I got the vehicle, I have had nothing but problems. There is one exception: the motor. Why they blew $3,500 (yes the motor is worth that much) on a Hyundai to put a Mitsubushi motor in it is beyond me. They should have painted "Crap" on the side of every Hyundai, because that's exactly what they are.

Here's a small and incomplete list of my problems with that piece of crap:

(1) Transmission Failure (which Hyundai refused twice to fix under warranty so now they will be spending some quality time with me in civil court).

(2) Clutch jobs (at least four).

(3) Starter, Alternator, Battery, Ignition and battery cables.

(4) Broken rims/wheels.

(5) Oxidized and peeling paint.

(6) Deteriorating bumper.

(7 - Infinity) I could go on forever.

All in all, I concur with the first dude: You get what you pay for.

If you buy a piece of crap then don't expect it to drive like a Mercedes. I might as well have got into a bathtub; chances are it would have driven better.

28th Oct 2001, 16:24

I bought a new 1995 base-model Sonata with an automatic transmission and only 7 miles on the odometer. It was reliable, requiring only scheduled maintenance which was always performed on time. There was a problem with the drivers-side window which wouldn't seal properly allowing it to leak air. Two trips to the dealer unvieled no problems with the mechanism so no repairs were made to fix the problem. I remedied the problem myself by sticking electrical tape in the window sill which aligned the glass correctly as it slid into place, sealing the window and stopping the noise.

I didn't quite like the performance of the auto-transmission because it was slow to downshift making the car feel sluggish and it at times "hunted" for the right gear under hard acceleration. It performed better in the "P" (performance) mode, but consumed more gas. I got rid of the car at 77,000 miles when the transmission began to slip and often wouldn't engage any gear at after a stop.

If I could get another one in good condition (preferrably a GLS V-6 model) and for a good price I may consider buying it.

7th Feb 2003, 04:52

I bought my 1995 Hyundai Sonata used, in 1999. It had about 125,000 miles on it at the time. (What was I thinking)? I noticed transmission problems almost immediately. The gears tend to grind a lot, and it doesn't like going into 1st without downshifting into 2nd first. Practicing this little maneuver seems to alleviate most grinding. It also requires some double clutching on occasion, from a stand still position. I have (basically) modified they way I drive the car in order to sustain smooth operation, which seems to do the job. My list of problems can be summed up as follows... 1) The belt snapped off of the harmonic balancer catching & bending the belt guide, which in turn, put pressure against the timing belt. This caused the timing belt to skip a few teeth. I had to replace the belt on the harmonic balancer, the belt guide, the timing belt, and have the timing reset as well. This could have been disastrous, however luck was on my side. (No valve damage occurred when the timing belt slipped). 2) The CV boots were replaced, and I now need to replace the front passenger side CV axle, it's clicking every time I turn left. I am now getting close to 150,000 miles on the odometer, and still paying for another year. If I make it another year, I will drive this car until it falls to pieces! Overall I cannot complain, it's really held up despite the high mileage it has on it.

2nd May 2003, 14:10

What a piece of crap! I bought the car in 98' with only 32,000 miles. I loved the car at first, but then within no time it started giving me problems. I have had it in the shop several times and even when it was under warranty it seemed as though my problems were never covered under it. It jerks badly when you go to stop, it dies going down the road and no one seems to know what the problems are. My suggestion to anyone who is even thinking about buying a Hyundai, get ready to spend countless hours at the mechanics shop.

27th May 2003, 07:39

I own a 95 Sonata GLS. Although I have never had any complaints with it and think it's a great car I do have to say there is a small problem now that it has 115,000 miles on it. The car seems to slip out of gear at random times. I could either be speeding up, slowing down, or staying at a constant speed. I haven't taken her to get checked out yet, but I am wondering if mixing transmissions fluids has anything to do with this. If anyone has any suggestions please email me at lhermes@mitre.org.

I do have to say otherwise my car has been terrific!

Thanks!

Lisa.

1st Jun 2003, 16:16

I bought a 2001 Sonata v-6 GLS. I love the car except that the transmission does not quickly engage. If I am backing out of the driveway and put the car in drive, it hesitates before going into gear. It does the same thing when I am pulling into traffic. Does anyone else have this problem? Is this problem solvable?

9th Sep 2004, 11:57

I own a 1995 Hyundai Sonota. A year ago I had the transmission replaced. $2000.00 dollars. I drove it home from the dealership (Hyundai-White Bear, MN. Hwy 61). After a couple days a trouble light comes on so I take the car back. They say I need a transmission sensor replaced. I just paid you $2000.00 to fix that. This isn't part of that problem they said. I left-with very bad thoughts in my head. The transmission sounds as if it is winding out before shifting. If I push down hard on the gas pedal when on the highway it will completely slip out of gear and will not engage until the motor slows way down. It also down shifts loudly and slams while braking for a stop. There are other problems as well. My point is they ripped me off-more than once. I will NEVER EVER buy a Hyundai again and I tell everyone the same.

13th Apr 2005, 22:19

I have a 95 Hyundai Sonata GLS automatic. My car has a habit of jumping into gear as I apply pressure on the gas while driving. It also makes a bad squealing noise when I turn. But the Sonata does have over 140,000 miles on it though. Other than this, it really is not a bad car. If I could get these problems fixed, I would keep my Sonata until it falls to pieces.